For primary school classes
For primary school pupils grades 4-6 there are various workshops. Participants learn what climate change means for plants, how plants respond to stress, and how to act sustainably themselves.
You can find further information and specific instructions for implementing the Climate Garden 2085 in our instructions.
Workshops recommended for pupils aged 10 and over (primary level)
Climate Garden introduction and workshop: The journey of the Znüni Box
Apples, pears, cucumbers and tomatoes are available in the stores at almost any time of year and, like other fruits, are considered healthy snacks. But where do these fruits come from? When do strawberries and apples ripen in Switzerland and neighboring countries? Why can long transportation routes and the way they are transported contribute to climate change? This workshop offers a good opportunity to discuss the harvest time of local fruit and vegetables with the pupils and to deal with questions of cultivation and long transportation routes.
Link to the instructions “The journey of my snack box” – Workshop (in German)
Climate Garden introduction and workshop: Recognizing plant structures with cyanotype
Images of plant parts can be produced using the cyanotype process. Pupils can use these images to compare the external structure of plants. Pupils learn which anatomical plant characteristics are advantageous in heat and under drought stress. (also suitable for TTG or BG)
Climate Garden introduction and workshop: Traces of light – images made from spinach
200 years ago, photography was still unknown. Back then, people dyed their cotton clothes with vegetable dyes and discovered that they lost their color outdoors. Chlorophyll, the dye that makes nature green, bleaches out in sunlight. The pupils coat paper with home-made spinach juice. They then cover it with a stencil and place it in the sun or – in bad weather – under LED lamps. This form of photo development is called anthotype and is also possible with other plant pigments. (also suitable for TTG or BG)
Climate Garden introduction and workshop: Plant diversity – How do flower colors and shapes change with climate change?
This workshop is an artistic journey of discovery. Pupils explore how and why flower shape and color change due to climate change and make watercolors from petals. They discuss what consequences these morphological changes have on the interaction between plants and insects (pollination).
Workshops recommended for pupils aged 12 and over (primary school, 6th grade)
Climate Garden introduction and workshop: Help, I’m a stressed plant!
Pupils learn what climate change means for plants and how plants react to stress. In the Climate Garden, the same plants grow under different conditions and thrive differently. Using these scenarios, the pupils investigate and observe possible effects of climate change. What exactly is climate change and what does it do? What does it mean for animals and humans? What does it mean for plants and how can they adapt? Pupils measure what plants metabolize, what gases they consume and how much oxygen they produce. Through experiments and observations, the pupils will experience climate change at first hand and also learn what greenhouse gases have to do with climate change.
Climate Garden introduction and workshop: Plant movement – creative and digital design
How do plants move? The opening and closing of a flower or the orientation of a sunflower towards the sun are examples of plant movements that the pupils observe and recreate. The pupils first construct purely mechanical objects, then they use a small electric motor and program the movement of the object. This gives the pupils a playful and creative introduction to mechanics, plant biology, simple block programming and working with electric circuits. The electric plant objects can be built at will so that they react to a stimulus such as water or light and only then execute the programmed movement.
Climate garden introduction and workshop: Happy City – Exploring the city with environmental sensors
During this project week, the pupils explore their environment. How clean is the water or how good is the air quality in the classroom? Using electronic components, micro-controllers and recyclable craft materials, the pupils build their own environmental measuring devices or environmental sensors. As part of open project work, pupils can use 3D printers and laser cutters to realize their own ideas and create objects or products that make a city more liveable for plants. In this modular workshop, pupils go through a design process, learn a simple programming language and creatively incorporate current environmental issues into their projects. An action-oriented and exciting offer that focuses more on the content and combines the areas of ESD and STEM in a meaningful and real-life way.